emotional overreactions & stranger kindness

The posts here are generally a little mean, a tad sarcastic, and heavily lean into the category of rants. My personality really slithers out from the computer screen and into your heart. To fix my van Gogh image, I'll share a story... 

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I took on a few too many responsibilities during the third year of my degree. I wouldn't say I'm someone who is prone to stress or anxiety, but I had created a stuffy bubble of negativity around me. The worst is I was barely aware of it. Without realising, I had stepped into a short stage of depression. It wasn't too extreme, but I had no appetite, was sleeping constantly and became overly emotional. One of my emotional outbursts occurred during class. I couldn't pinpoint what triggered it, but I started crying and eventually left the room because I couldn't stop. Like a pussy. 

I was sitting outside in the sun trying to calm myself down when a guy approached me. I had my sunglasses on, so I was pretty sure he hadn't approached me to ask if I was OK. He asked me for directions first, then, while awkwardly shuffling his feet, also asked what I was studying and what my future goals were. I was thinking that this guy was off to a weird start if he was trying to chat me up. He also told me about himself: he was from Zimbabwe, was studying social work (and hated it), and hoped to stay in Australia for as long as he could. I was trying to figure out what his end goal, and just when I thought he would ask for my number or Facebook details, he said, "well, have a nice day, Simona" and left. He'd distracted me, made me laugh, and went on his way.

Perhaps my sunglasses weren't hiding as much as I thought they were. The gesture was appreciated, though I'm not sure I'll ever get the chance to thank him. Had I been in his shoes, I'm not sure I would have been brave enough to approach me. Knowing the difference he made definitely boosts my confidence to do the same for someone in a similar situation. 

His kindness touched me and I hope he gets the opportunity to remain in Australia and spread more of it around. 

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So this wasn't a story about my big heart. It's a story about acknowledging the kindness of strangers. Generally, the only things you get out of such an exchange are the warm tingles in your belly and the little rise in your self esteem. If more people shared their experiences of stranger kindness, would that motivate others to commit random acts of kindness themselves? I'm thinking yes. 

If you have a similar story, I'd love to hear it.